Anthony dismisses Idol gossip

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Anthony Callea in the Idol house that's becoming quieter as contestants are dumped.Photo: Anthony Johnson

Melbourne's Australian Idol finalist Anthony Callea has
denied suggestions that he is gay.

The 21-year-old Sanctuary Lakes voice coach is among the last
three Idol contestants living in the show's Sydney mansion
until the competition final next weekend.

Tomorrow night, after viewers have voted, the finalists will be
reduced to two.

Of rumours that he is gay, Callea said: "At the end of the day I
think the most important thing is that as long as your family knows
the truth and your close friends know the truth, that's all that's
really important to me." So what is the truth? "That I'm not."

The other finalists are Casey Donovan, 16, from Sydney, and
24-year-old Perth musician Courtney Murphy.

Donovan says that the judges' criticism of her weight and style
did hurt but she has managed to deal with it. "It used to affect
me. I don't worry about it any more," she said. "Since I have been
in the house I have lost a bit of weight. I would like to lose more
just for health reasons."

Donovan said her father "got me hooked on music when I was about
seven. He took me to Tamworth.

"He lives with his wife and two other kids. He rings me a couple
of times a year. My parents divorced and there was a little bit of
stuff that happened so I don't really want to talk to him much. He
has rung me a couple of times and said: 'You're doing good'."

She said it was only when she sings that the "bad stuff" gets
out of her head. Her parents' divorce "messed me up a little
bit".

Donovan's mother, Tracy, is preparing to be there for her
daughter when the whirlwind of life in the Australian Idol
limelight ends.

"On any given Monday, which we don't want to think about, this
could end," she said. "There is a psychologist who walks around
after the show to chat with people."

Murphy's girlfriend, Jane, 22, has flown from Perth each weekend
to support him during the show.

He said: "She stays at a hotel in the city. Some jokes have been
made that the first weekend she came over, a lot of people noticed
a change in me.

"We have talked about marriage, more than likely after all this
thing slows down."

He said his first engagement to another woman was "a little
destructive" and led to him needing counselling and
anti-depressants. The drugs led to a dramatic increase in
weight.

As the three idols wrestle with their insecurities, Channel Ten
bosses are also concerned. Viewing figures have dropped for the
third week running amid claims from the show's own judges that the
contestants are not as good as last year.

All three idols complained last week that the house now seemed
empty without the other rejected contestants. On Tuesday, it will
be even quieter - only two will remain.